July 16 -- Play was scheduled to resume at the 2010 British Open about an hour after officials called golfers off the course because high winds were causing golf balls to oscillate furiously on the greens.
All in. Officials blew the “all-in” horn at 9:29 a.m. EDT at the Open Championship at St. Andrews, apparently after golf Jason Dufner lobbied for a suspension after his ball moved several inches after he marked it on the seventh green.
“He did not want to continue play,” ESPN commentator Sean McDonough said.
Royal & Ancient officials tried to talk Dufner down but in the end bowed to his complaints, McDonough said.
“When the wind is clearly too strong, it becomes obvious you have to have a short suspension," R&A rules official Donald Turner told ESPN. “It’s dropped but it’s still a consistent 22 or 23 miles per hour.”
Wussies. Other golfers disagreed with the call.
“If it was my call, I’d send the boys out there,” said US Open champion Graeme McDowell. The US Open champ, by the way, was safely in the clubhouse at 5-under.
Open Championship defending champion Stewart Cink was also stunned by the suspension.
“I was really surprised when they told us we were going to halt play,” he said. “We’ve seen a lot harder wind in this Open Championship.”
Cink was at even-par after two holes, one shot above the projected cut.
Pack it in. With two bogeys and a double after six holes and at 4-over for the Open, Dufner was having a bad day and would probably like just to go home. With the projected cut at 1-over, he’ll likely be slamming his trunk after Friday’s round anyway.
Read how after the first round, Tiger Woods and John Daly were in the hunt and chasing Rory McIlroy.
Comments
Seriously! Dufner should shamed and ashamed. A circus act of marking his ball, taking his stance, and pulling away scared(repeated again)from a ball that was not moving in the wind at the time so that he could make a case of the awful conditions on the course. Ridiculous the scene he played out that had such a big impact on the course and possibly the whole tournament. Your first Open! Play it and shut up or withdraw if it is too difficult
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